ODBDSLC #72/MIM #27

It seems like forever since I've participated in a Make It Monday challenge! I'm getting this in just under the wire, but early days for the second challenge I'm entering it in, Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light Challenge #72. The 27th MIM challenge is to use Copic markers to make your own custom ribbon. I've seen Nicole do this many times but had never tried it myself . . . fun! For ODBD, the challenge is to incorporate a tag in your design. You didn't have to make a pocket, although I did. It's something else I've seen many times but had never attempted myself. This is a birthday card for a sweet lady, and I thought she'd appreciate a bookmark along with her card:


Here's the bookmark. Whoa, it looks so much darker to me now! :-)


And the inside (more ODBD):


Well, it's fun & bright, so it should give her a smile. :-) Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies
Stamps: ODBD--Mini Tags 3, Thinking of You; PTI--All Booked Up
Paper: DCWV--Life of the Party; PTI--S.S. White; stash
Ink: Versafine--Onyx Black; Versacolor--Burgundy; E.P.--Filigree Clear
Other: Dies--Spellbinders Ribbon Tag Trio Three, Classic Circles, PTI--Bookmark; Ribbon--Martha Stewart; Copics--R35, R37, R39, YR00, YR12, YR15, G24, G85; Flowers--Prima; Brad--stash; Sewing Machine; Corner Chomper

Make It Monday Challenge #16

This week's Papertrey Ink Make It Monday Challenge (details here) is to create a sympathy card. In an eerie coincidence, I just made this one. Eerie because I don't have anyone I've made it for, I just had a feeling that I should have one on hand. I hope it was for this challenge, and not because I will actually need to send it!

I tend to use natural colors and images when making sympathy cards. Most of the ones I've made in the last few years have been for men--I mean, to send to men, on the passing of their wives--so greens, browns, blues and the like are colors I reach for. For women, I also use greens and blues, but softer shades like Ocean Tides and Soft Stone, and I never use black for either. Smokey Shadow is gentler and more hopeful, I think. I also use PTI's add on sympathy set for the loss of pets regularly--that set is a perfect example of PTI's thoughtful and thorough inventory. I mean, who else would think of it?

For this card, I used Kraft, Fine Linen, Ripe Avocado and the patterned paper collection Pacific Vineyards along with the 2009 Anniversary stamp set, Round and Round--an excellent one for sympathy cards, especially when you need one quickly. I can tell that Royal Velvet will be added to my roster of colors for this type of card. I also used the sewing machine, leaving the thread ends long for a rustic look both inside and out. The twine hopefully added to the rustic feel too.

This is a card I would send to a man, or a family, but I could easily make the same exact card with different papers/color choices and a ribbon in place of the twine for a woman. These are cards no one wants to make, but nevertheless are needed. Thanks to PTI for the wonderful products that make this job easier.

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--Round & Round, With Sympathy (inside)
Paper: PTI--Kraft, Fine Linen, Ripe Avocado, Pacific Vineyards
Ink: Versafine--Vintage Sepia; Versacolor--Grape, PTI--Ripe Avocado, Tea Dye Duo; E.P.--Filigree Clear
Misc.: Buttons--PTI Royal Velvet; Embossing Folder--Cuttlebug; Twine--stash; Corner Chomper; Sewing Machine

Make It Monday Challenge #15

This week's task for Papertrey Ink's Make It Monday Challenge is to make your own spray mist (details here).

I haven't yet jumped on the spray mist bandwagon. I only own three reinkers. I don't have any of the pearly powder stuff. I *do* have a Tim Holtz mister or two laying around. What the heck, I thought, I'll give it a try. I knew I wanted the "mist" to have a metallic effect if at all possible, so I used the only metallic reinker I have, one called Amber Satin. And you know what? It worked. After I got over my panic that I had sprayed too much and permanently warped my paper I mean, it worked. (Flattening out after drying proved no problem.) I just may try this 'ole trick again--or actually invest in a "real" spray mist, LOL!

You can actually see the metallic-y finish in the first photo pretty well, I think, but I added a close up shot too. I sprayed Mr. Frog, the pennant banner, and the left-hand of the two patterned papers. This is actually a birthday card for a grown woman. When is Boy Basics: Frog Hop appropriate for an adult woman? When your small group has the frog as its unofficial mascot, and group members give major props for anything frog-related, LOL!

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--Boy Basics: Frog Hop
Paper: PTI--Aqua Mist, Rustic White; Basic Grey--Sweet Threads
Ink: Memento--Tuxedo Black; Ranger--Tattered Rose, Tea Dye, and Vintage Photo Distress Inks; E.P.--Filigree Clear
Dies: PTI--Frog Hop; Taylored Expressions--Pennant Border; Spellbinders--Labels 8 and Big Scalloped Circles
Misc.: Alpha Stickers--Making Memories; Googly eyes--Michaels; Rhinestones--Elements; Copic Marker--100; Reinker--Color Box Amber Satin

Make It Monday Challenge #12

Guess what?! I was able to sneak some stuff out and make a card! My bedroom is a MESS, but I got to do some creative therapy and that's all that matters, LOL! Yay, all may not be lost for the next month or two! :-D

I don't think I've ever tried the framing technique before on a card, but I have long admired it in Nicole Heady's designs, so I was really happy that I got to actually give it a try this week! I went classic with my design--no tweet-worthy clever twists in sight--and ended up loving it. I always--I mean always--feel happy when using the In Bloom stamp set from PTI. There is no question that I've received more positive response to cards made with this set than any other. Basically, you just can't mess it up, it makes you look good!

I used two patterned papers, one from Pretty Pastels and one from Everyday Blessings, to stamp the blossom and leaf images on. I colored the images in with Copics. I placed them where I wanted first, stamped the sentiment (also from In Bloom) and *then* drew in the frame. I added the tiny rhinestones at the end when I felt it needed a little something else. (Also because I cannot leave well enough alone. If I were camping in the Grand Canyon with the Brady Bunch, that would be my Indian name: Cannot Leave Well Enough Alone.) Reason #409 why I will never be a CAS designer! :-D

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--In Bloom
Paper: PTI--Spring Moss, Vintage Cream, Pretty Pastels, Everyday Blessings
Ink: PTI--Ripe Avocado; Versafine--Onyx Black; E.P.--Filigree Clear
Misc.: Copics--BG11, YG91, Multiliner o.5; Rhinestones--Taylored Expressions; Pinking Shears

Make It Monday Challenge #11

Hola, amigas (and Ted)! ;-D Here is my entry for this week's Make It Monday Challenge for Papertrey Ink. This week's challenge is to emboss using the steel dies PTI offers. I went really different for this one . . . I used the triangle pennant dies from the Banner Builder Collection. After embossing Pure Poppy cardstock with the pennants, I carefully cut out around each one, so that the embossing (debossing, actually) would be an integral part of each petal. I stamped on each petal in Versamark with the zig zag image from BB: Christmas, built a flower one petal at a time, and then centered it with a colorful brad. What do you think? Well, it seemed like a good idea at 4 a.m., LOL! I had a fun Spanish theme in mind because I couldn't wait to use the Fiesta paper pad from WeRMemoryKeepers--ole!

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--Turning a New Leaf & Background Basics: Christmas; The Cat's Pajamas--Hola Tequila!
Paper: PTI--S.S. White, Pure Poppy, New Leaf; WeRMemoryKeepers--Fiesta
Ink: PTI--New Leaf, Pure Poppy; Versafine--Onyx Black; Versamark; Embossing Powder--Filigree Clear
Misc.: Dies--PTI Banner Builder Collection, Turning a New Leaf; Brad--K & Co.; Scissors--Provo Craft

Make It Monday Challenge #9

It really should be called Make It Saturdays, right? ;-D I've been busy this week, and next week looks busy too, and then the next week is Easter week . . . shoot, I'm glad PTI gives us a whole week to get each challenge done! Challenge #9 is to use heat embossing on your project. Since I use heat embossing on 99.9% of the cards I create, this was right up my alley. I went CAS and embossed flowers from Flower Garden (which I got with my Papertrey Paper Dolls gift certificate!) in white on True Black cardstock. I added a sentiment from Signature Series: Dress Form because I liked how it looked, design-wise. I thought about adding one POP of color, but I decided that Flower Garden doesn't need one! I am in love with both stamp sets . . . wish I had a week off from work just to play with them!

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--Flower Garden, Signature Series: Dress Form
Paper: PTI--True Black
Ink: Watermark; Embossing Powder--Ultra Detail White
Misc.: Corner Chomper

Make It Monday Challenge #8/CR84FN21

It's MIM time again at Papertrey Ink! This week's challenge is to use ink shading on your project. I've only ever inked the edges of my paper, so fortunately there's a video by Betsy Veldman showing how to do something a little more elaborate! I chose to use the colors from the CR84FN21 challenge--just because I loved them. Isn't their graphic gorgeous?

First I embossed BB: Text Style over the cream background with clear embossing powder. Next, I stamped images from Life in Smokey Shadow. Finally, I used three Distress Inks to shade the background, and wiped the excess ink off the embossing. I added mats, ribbon, a tag and trim, and trimmed one end with pinking shears. Not unique, but a good canvas upon which to practice a new technique!

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--Life, BB: Text Style, Tiny Tags
Paper: PTI--Vintage Cream, Scarlet Jewel, Simply Chartreuse; stash
Ink: PTI--Smokey Shadow; Watermark; Versafine--Onyx Black; Ranger--Antique Linen, Aged Mahogany, Shabby Shutters Distress Inks; Embossing Powder--Filigree Clear
Die: PTI--Tiny Tags
Ribbon: PTI--Scarlet Jewel Bitty Dot
Misc.: Trim--stash; Floss--DMC Ecru; pinking shears

Make It Monday Challenge #7

If you frequent the PTI forum, I think you know who this card is for. Lee Anne has been in my thoughts since we heard the sad news, and I am praying for her and her son daily. I know from following her blog that Wishing You is one of her favorite stamp sets, so it was an easy choice for me when making her a sympathy card. I shaded the leaves and tulips a bit with copics, trying out this week's MIM challenge to use copics on non-neutral cardstock. Otherwise, it's a simple card for one of those very tough times.

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--Wishing You
Paper: PTI--Smokey Shadow, Simply Chartreuse, & Sweet Blush; Basic Grey--Olivia
Ink: PTI--Sweet Blush & Simply Chartreuse; Watermark; Versafine--Onyx Black; Embossing Powder--Stamp Diego Ultra Detail White
Die: Spellbinders--Labels 4
Brads: Basic Grey--Urban Prairie
Copics: R20, YG 95; Colorless Blender

Make It Monday Challenge #6

Hello! I hope you're having a good day as you read this! I've felt kind of "off" today, and am just now starting to feel like myself--just in time for bed, LOL! Papertrey Ink's Make It Monday challenge for this week is partial impressing/embossing. I used PTI's Book Print impression plate to make my impressed layer (the yellow one). I've added a close up of it in case the overall picture doesn't pick up the impression. I impressed at an angle, because I thought it fit in with my angled layers--in a way, it's like a fourth angled layer, don't you think? That giant flower is one I rescued--it was part of the decoration for an event at church, and they were just going to throw them away! Picture me leaping in slow-motion, my arms outstretched, "Nooooo" escaping from my lips as I catch the blossoms just before they hit the trash! Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit, but come on, a crafter can make anything work, right? I have two more to play with!

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--It's Official
Paper: PTI--Terracotta Tile, Orange Zest, Summer Sunrise & Vintage Cream
Ink: Versafine--Onyx Black; PTI--Chai Tea; Embossing Powder--Filigree Clear
Impression Plate: PTI--Book Print
Die: Spellbinders--Ribbon Tags Trio
Misc.: Border Punch--EK Success; Baker's Twine--stash; Flower--Michaels

Make It Monday Challenge #5

Make It Monday challenge #5 from Papertrey Ink was to distress your edges! (Details here.) No problem . . . I had some fun distressing all the edges on this card, both with a distresser tool and with ink. Hopefully it will brighten someone's day!

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--Floral Frenzy & Up, Up and Away
Paper: PTI--Spring Rain & S. S. White; stash scraps
Ink: PTI--Fresh Snow; Versafine--Vintage Sepia; Ranger--Antique Linen Distress Ink
Dies: PTI--Beautiful Blooms II #2 & Buttoned Up #2
Misc.: Felt--PTI Harvest Gold; Ric Rac--stash; Floss--DMC Ecru; Heidi Swapp Distresser; Corner Chomper

Make It Monday Challenge #4

This week's Make It Monday challenge for Papertrey Ink is to use fun foam on your project for stamping and/or embellishments. (Details here.) I was wowed when I watched Heather Nichols' video on using fun foam--it was an "a-ha" moment when I saw how easily it cuts with even intricate dies and realized that you can stamp on it too! Ooh, the possibilities! So, I thought of what I considered a clever idea using Wise Owl. I sat down tonight to execute it and . . . I struggled. I mean I really, really struggled. Nothing came out how I pictured, and I was hampered by the fact that I only had fun foam in one color--white--which I had *just* purchased to make buttons with PTI's new button dies. I scrapped my first idea and went with #2. That was just as bad, although I did keep the die cuts to use on something else later. I really wanted to both stamp with and use fun foam die cuts on the card, so finally, I threw my hands up and did something simple, not-so-creative, and boring. Ta da! LOL! But I got something done, darn it, and if a great new idea pops into my head tomorrow at work, I'm ignoring it! ;-D

Supplies
Stamps: PTI--Fillable Frames #5 & 6
Paper: PTI--Kraft
Ink: PTI--Plum Pudding & Fresh Snow; Versafine--Onyx Black
Dies: PTI--Fillable Frames #6, Buttoned Up #1, and Beautiful Blooms II #3
Misc.: Fun Foam; Twine--Lilac, The Twinery